McMahon gets union backing despite healthcare vote

New York Rep. Mike McMahon (D) angered union officials this spring by not voting for healthcare reform. One labor official went so far as to call him "Judas in Staten Island."

But that anger appeared to have dissipated as the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) announced Friday it's backing the freshman Democrat.

PEF, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, is the second-largest state-employee union in New York. It has some 1,300 members in the 13th district.

"Mike McMahon understands and respects the work that our members do on behalf of the public," PEF President Kenneth Brynien said in a statement. "By working to make sure that New York gets a fair share of Federal funds, Mike McMahon has helped to prevent the layoff of thousands of workers in our state. New York needs McMahon standing up for us in Congress."